Hi Laura, I was trying to remember whether we tried Liquid Fence there or not, so I asked my husband. He thinks we probably didn't try it, as, as he believes the non-vegetarian racoons would probably find the stinky rotten egg smell attractive, the same way they like Fish emulsion. But we've not tried it, so I can't say for certain that it wouldn't work. You can use bone meal successfully, Laura. You just have to keep it at the bottom of the planting hole, not up, say, to within 6 or 8 inches of the top. We put a lot at the very bottom of all of our holes and have only had the digging problem with the one new planter where I think we added some a little closer to the top. Compost ought to work out really well for your roses and anything else you want to grow wherever you want to put it--in the holes and on top too. You don't have to go the extra step to make compost tea and carry around that heavy water if you don't want to; if you just scatter it on top of the mulch when it rains off and on, the compost will gradually dissolve into the ground and the plants will be able to gradually use its nutrients that way just fine. (Note: this method depends on leaving your mulch in place on top of the ground, and replenishing it with more mulch on top of that as it becomes necessary. The partially depleted mulch contains the nitrogen the new mulch will need to begin the breakdown process all over again without having to take much from the soil to accomplish that.) I'd not personally recommend the use of non-organic fertilizers, as their use changes the natural balance of the soil's microbia. Plants have evolved over the centuries to coexist with and benefit from the naturally-occurring soil organisms, not a soil whose microbia have become wildy unbalanced. I briefly used superphosphate (in the Dark Ages) on my rhododendrons until reading a research-based article about the long-range unhealthy soil effects of using superphosphate. Plants will be much healthier in the long run if you can use only organic fertilizers like compost. To take for example the plants we've had the longest experience with, our rhododendrons absolutely love cottonseed meal, judging from their generous, gorgeous blooming on reasonably healthy plants (with no spray at all) for the past 35 years. We haven't used regular commercial fertilizers of any kind anywhere in our yard, including superphosphate, for all that time. We just throw cottonseed meal out on top of the mulch and let it get washed down into the soil with the rain. It gradually decomposes, consistently furnishing its nutrients to the rhododendrons. In noticing our large healthy rhododendrons, surprised people around here have said that they can't grow rhododendrons in their own yards, including even some landscapers who ought to know how to grow them. But the key is in the soil health and that's the difference in what we do compared to what they tried that didn't work. Organically based stuff is all you ever need to successfully grow rhododendrons; anything else, like commercial regular fertilizers, sets the plant up for diseases to a much more crippling extent than it would likely have had to deal with in a natural setting. Since starting with roses, we've put lots of good organic stuff into the planting holes, but cottonseed meal and banana peels are the main thing they'll ever get on the top, other than tree leaves and mulch. It seems to work well for roses thus far; our roses were heavily budded up this spring and looking quite healthy until Rose Rosette Disease swept through the yard. Regarding your dog, well, if he/she starts barking wildly after dark, you might get out your flashlight and take a look in the front yard. We've done that a few times, and sure enough, there was a racoon. We gave up bothering to fuss at the racoon, though, since we noticed it had no effect whatsoever. They might saunter off a little, but as soon as you go back inside, they come right back. They don't seem to care the least bit what people think of their digging! Pesky little critters... Well, good luck with your critters. Best wishes, Mary

Glad I came back up here to look for replies! Yay! I got the good dirt! :D I had no idea what I was doing. The guy at the co-op recommended this. I knew we were anti-Hyponex and pro co-op mix, but that's all I knew. :) Uh oh...no styrofoam? Bummer. I just did a few, and so easy to poke holes in the bottom. I tried poking holes in the yogurt cup first and split it. Oops. I think a plastic container sounds like a good idea to house everything, drilling holes in the top. Do I also have to make drainage holes in the bottom? I do have a paint pen. It's one of those Deco-Color from Michael's craft store.

momof3kids or errant (how confusing) - that is not cool. My Houzz name was the same as my GW but under 2 different emails so I am leaving them separate. I'm not sure that even matters? But I suspect it would if I have shared idea books I'd rather not have them link right over to my GW posts.

HI -- Being that it is a barn style house I think having some wood post and beam structures added to the entrance , the side patio ,and a little over the garage doors . It would be a fitting feature .Find an Architect that works with post and beam and have a mock up done to see what it would look like . This house looks wonderful .